In the summer of ‘95, after graduating from nursing school I was hired at a nearby psychiatric hospital (which I’ll call Dovers* for privacy reasons). At the time, I was living in the New England area, and let me tell you, the summers there were beautiful.
Anyway, due to budget cuts and deplorable conditions (there were even rumors of several doctors performing lobotomies back in the thirties and forties), Dovers was slated to close in September of that year.
At the time of my hiring though, most of the 500 patients living at the Dovers were either released or relocated to other hospitals leaving only about 100 patients behind with 17 staff members including 3 doctors and 4 nurses (including myself).
Now, Dovers itself was a very grand hospital with its Gothic-style architecture and while it was open, was the talk of the town, both good and bad.
Dovers was located on the edge of town and was surrounded by very dense woods with only one road leading in and out.
Built in 1870, it was originally intended to house 200 patients with the purpose of treating the criminally insane, mentally ill, and people suffering from tuberculosis in order to cure them.
Unfortunately though over the years, as the population grew overcrowding was a big issue, and by the ‘30’s there were upwards of 3,000 patients at the hospital at any given time.
Soon though, due to the overcrowdedness, lack of funding, and, staff shortages, the hospital fell into disrepair.
My job at the hospital was to watch over the remaining patients until they were relocated (about 2 months).
As I previously mentioned before, there were 17 staff members left with a total of 5 floors being occupied. There were 3 doctors, 4 nurses, 2 CNAs, 4 security guards, 2 cooks, and 2 maintenance people left.
We were to live at the hospital with our sleeping quarters being on the 1st and 2nd floors while the patients were kept on the 3rd and 4th floors but somehow though, there was a miscalculation with the rooms, and therefore I volunteered to sleep on the 5th floor where I would be alone (which didn’t bother me at all).
It was a Friday when I arrived and since I didn’t have to report to work until Monday, I had the weekend to myself.
Now, Dovers had 7 floors total, with the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors remaining unused after several patients died under mysterious circumstances back in the 70s. Of course, rumors were abound about the hospital being haunted but at the time, I didn’t believe in ghosts.
After I met the other staff, I had dinner and decided to retire to my room.
Now, the 5th floor had not been used for over 6 years, so you could imagine just how much dust had accumulated on everything.
After cleaning my room I took a shower and decided to turn in for the night.
It was around 1 in the morning when something woke me from a deep sleep.
Adjusting my eyes to the darkness, I saw a figure standing at the edge of my bed.
It appeared to be a woman wearing one of those old-fashioned nurses’ uniforms.
I quickly turned the lights on and the figure was gone.
After tossing and turning for about an hour, I finally fell asleep and the next morning after breakfast, I decided to explore the rest of the 5th floor.
Using a flashlight, I wandered the halls peering into each room as I walked by until I reached the now abandoned nurse’s station.
It was as if time stood still…
There was a long-forgotten coffee mug with coffee stains still sitting on the counter, and all along the wall were old pictures of who I assumed, were the nurses that used to work here.
I studied the pictures well as I was curious about the previous staff that worked here.
There was a picture that was taken during the Christmas of 1978 and I actually recognized Sue* (not her real name) one of the nurses in the picture.
I continued to explore the 5th floor until I began to feel sleepy.
That night as I lay in bed, I could hear the faint sound of a woman crying.
Thinking it was one of the patients, I went to check it out.
As I exited my room and entered the dark hallway, I noticed that the crying was getting louder.
I began walking towards the nurses’ station and stopped, as the crying seemed to be coming from somewhere in the back of the station.
I nervously called out, “Hel-lo?” but of course got no answer. That’s when I spotted it, a door I didn’t notice earlier.
I slowly walked over to the door and opened it and noticed how dark it was inside this room. Using my flashlight, I scanned the room and for a second there, I thought I saw a figure hunched over in the corner.
The crying abruptly stopped.
Anyway, using my flashlight I began to explore the office and that’s when I spotted the picture of Dr. Ryan* (not his real name).
Dr. Ryan was one of the 3 doctors who remained behind at Dover’s.
I had questions.
It was the next day when I talked to Sue and asked her if any of the nurses died here and she said, as a matter of fact, a nurse that used to work here went missing about seventeen years ago. It was rumored that she was having an affair with one of the doctors and that, she was also pregnant with his baby.
“Do you know who the doctor she was having an affair with?”
“No, I don’t.”
I had a feeling who it was, though…
The remaining months were without incident that was until the last week before the hospital was to close.
The morning started out normal, it was my day off and I decided to go down and get some breakfast.
As I was about to enter the elevator to go down to the first floor, it began to malfunction. Then from behind me, I heard a blood-curdling wail almost like someone in pain, sending shivers down my spine.
I stood there in utter shock, unable to move.
Somehow though, I built up enough courage to turn around and that’s when I saw the ghost of the nurse gliding towards me.
Unable to move, she approached me and within a blink of an eye placed her hand (which was somehow solid) on my shoulder.
Horrible images flashed before my eyes as I saw her being murdered then her killer hiding her body somewhere on the 5th floor.
I saw who killed her…
About an hour later, the hospital was bustling with police and forensic experts…
I even saw them escorting Dr. Ryan out of the hospital, in handcuffs…
They found Donna’s remains behind the walls inside Dr. Ryan’s old office.
See, seventeen years ago, Dr. Ryan who was married was having an affair with a nurse from the hospital (who I’ll call Donna).
Several months into the affair, Donna found out she was pregnant and threatened to tell Mrs. Ryan if he didn’t divorce her…
Scared his wife would leave him, he killed Donna in a fit of rage.
After Dr. Ryan’s arrest, I showed Sue the picture of Donna (which I found at the nurse’s station) and she confirmed what I already knew, that she was the nurse that went missing back in 1978.
It was a few days after Dr. Ryan’s arrest, that the hospital closed its doors for the last time.
As I exited the hospital door, I felt a great sense of sadness so, I glanced up at the 5th floor one last time, and standing there at the window was Donna.
I waved at her and she smiled at me then vanished.
At that moment I felt a sense of calm.
I often think about that time back in 95, and wonder if Donna finally found peace in the afterlife…